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Dec 25, 2013

Brazil could produce Gripens sold in in South America and Africa

The Swedish government is working on a joint strategy with Saab to extend the Gripen-E combat fighter offer to Brazil to include a radically up-scaled industrial dimension that would see Brazil become the primary production base for future Gripen-E sales to South America and Africa through a joint venture with Embraer.
Sweden plans to convene an inter-departmental meeting between ministers pivotal to the Gripen-E sale to Brazil in January.
The Swedish government has already confirmed that part of the 36 Gripen-E combat aircraft earmarked in Saab’s preliminary sale contract will be manufactured at a new plant Brazil. This facility would produce the Gripen-E or two seat Gripen-F aircraft in support of any future sales to other South American and African countries.
The two governments are also discussing an interim solution, ahead of the delivery of the first Gripen-Es in 2018, under which Brazil could lease Gripen C/D one or two seat combat aircraft from the Swedish Air Force’s existing or surplus fleet and stock.
The Swedish Air Force’s current stock of older version Gripens includes around 87 Gripen-C aircraft and 50 Gripen-A fighters dating to the mid-1990s. The lease proposal is likely to include a possible conversion of Gripen-As to Gripen-C type status which would be funded by the Swedish state.defensenews